tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16442482888332377502018-01-24T08:00:33.523-05:00FranMoff's Obsessive Collecting DisorderOccasional insights into a continual collecting habit. Focused on action figures, comic books, statues, DVDs, Hot Wheels, Pez, Legos, hospital robes, medication samples, and pens taken from therapists.FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-2879099512887582232017-11-15T00:52:00.002-05:002017-11-15T01:02:27.065-05:00Rhode Island Comic Con 2017<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/albums/72157689281449364" title="Boston Comic Con 2017"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4521/24557217388_bc26741612_c.jpg" width="579" height="800" alt="Boston Comic Con 2017"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <!-- <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/franmoff/dyPEp3" title="Rhode Island Comic Con 2017"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4521/24557217388_bc26741612_c.jpg" width="534" height="800" alt="Rhode Island Comic Con 2017"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>-->FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-41149592017547212652017-08-16T00:20:00.000-04:002017-11-15T00:58:01.669-05:002017 Boston Comic Con (FanExpo Boston) pix up on Flickr<p>Had a great time at FanExpo Boston (formerly Boston Comic Con) this year, as usual. Here are some pix from Sunday.</p> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/albums/72157685034822584" title="Boston Comic Con 2017"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4336/35769865153_1b025df64e_c.jpg" width="579" height="800" alt="Boston Comic Con 2017"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <!-- <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/albums/72157685034822584" title="Boston Comic Con 2017"><img alt="Boston Comic Con 2017" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4336/35769865153_1b025df64e_z.jpg" width="463" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>-->FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0Boston, MA, USA42.3600825 -71.0588801000000141.984348999999995 -71.704327100000015 42.735816 -70.4134331tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-51558445444126063432017-01-05T00:31:00.000-05:002018-01-24T01:09:06.295-05:00New Year's Haul<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Last weekend was a perfect storm of clearance sales in my area. My main goal was to attend the end-of-year sale at a local comic book shop, but I found that other stores were also discounting items I had been considering for some time. Here's a rundown of my great weekend haul.<br /><br /><h3>Target</h3><br />Target's Christmas supplies were on clearance, and they had already started putting out their Valentine's Day merch, so I picked up a Stormtrooper helmet ornament by Hallmark and a BB-8 candy dispenser by Galerie. The latter, one of the Valentine's Day products, plays sounds when a button on the front is pushed.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717419660/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Stormtrooper helmet Christmas ornament by Hallmark"><img alt="Stormtrooper helmet Christmas ornament by Hallmark" height="500" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/757/31717419660_4c046ec6d1.jpg" width="417" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stormtrooper helmet ornament by Hallmark</td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974710771" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="BB-8 candy dispenser by Galerie"><img alt="BB-8 candy dispenser by Galerie" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/485/31974710771_cd807069ff.jpg" width="358" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BB-8 Candy Dispenser by Galerie </td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><h3> Rubber Chicken Comics (Bellingham, MA)</h3><br /><a href="http://www.rubberchickencomics.com/" target="_blank">Rubber Chicken</a> capped off 2016 with their annual sale week, which starts the day after Christmas with 20% off most everything in the store; the discount is increased incrementally each day through New Year's Eve. I waited until the last day, when the discount was 50%, and walked away with some great bargains. I hadn't been to the Chicken in a while, so I had nothing specific in mind, though I was hoping to grab some Godzilla merch, which tends to be a bit pricey. And I lucked out!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717418860/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="1974 Godzilla Vinyl Figure Bank"><img alt="1974 Godzilla Vinyl Figure Bank" height="500" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/552/31717418860_cb395ecba6.jpg" width="388" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1974 Godzilla Vinyl Figure Bank</td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974708701/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Godzilla Classic 1989 Vinyl Figure Bank"><img alt="Godzilla Classic 1989 Vinyl Figure Bank" height="476" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/275/31974708701_6162a13a16.jpg" width="500" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Godzilla Classic 1989 Vinyl Figure Bank</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />I also picked up a few Star Wars and Star Trek action figures, marked down from Rubber Chicken's already-low prices. It's hard to resist $2.50 action figures.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974709981/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Obi-Wan Kenobi (Cold Weather Gear)"><img alt="Obi-Wan Kenobi (Cold Weather Gear)" height="500" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/316/31974709981_bdb4f2142c.jpg" width="365" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obi-Wan Kenobi (Cold Weather Gear)</td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717419490/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ensign Ro Laren (Former Bajoran Freedom Fighter)"><img alt="Ensign Ro Laren (Former Bajoran Freedom Fighter)" height="500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/714/31717419490_a421875a6e.jpg" width="392" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ensign Ro Laren (Former Bajoran Freedom Fighter)</td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974710261/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Esoqq (A member of the Chalnoth race)"><img alt="Esoqq (A member of the Chalnoth race)" height="500" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/644/31974710261_5e1c1b70f8.jpg" width="412" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Esoqq (A member of the Chalnoth race)</td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717419110/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Q in Judges Robe"><img alt="Q in Judges Robe" height="500" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/633/31717419110_7c7cbda3de.jpg" width="393" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Q in Judges Robe</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />Darwyn Cooke was such a great artist and character designer, so I was happy to pick up the DC Comics Designer Series action figure based upon his Wonder Woman at half-price.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974710611/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DC Comics Designer Series Wonder Woman action figure (based upon artwork by Darwyn Cooke)"><img alt="DC Comics Designer Series Wonder Woman action figure (based upon artwork by Darwyn Cooke)" height="500" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/592/31974710611_c64ccf711c.jpg" width="378" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DC Comics Designer Series Wonder Woman action figure (based upon artwork by Darwyn Cooke)</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />I'd also had my eye on Funko's Doctor Strange Pop Vinyl, so this was the perfect opportunity to grab that as well.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974709631" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Doctor Strange vinyl bobble-head"><img alt="Funko Pop! Doctor Strange vinyl bobble-head" height="500" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/758/31974709631_9e2daaa2ed.jpg" width="379" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funko Pop! Doctor Strange vinyl bobble-head</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />I am a fan of both jungle girls and Frank Cho, so at $2.50, this 2014 calendar featuring Cho's Jungle Girl character was an easy "Yes!"<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717418020" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Jungle Girl 2014 Calendar by Frank Cho"><img alt="Jungle Girl 2014 Calendar by Frank Cho" height="482" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/455/31717418020_701cc4db43.jpg" width="500" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jungle Girl 2014 Calendar by Frank Cho</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />I also added to my <i>Heavy Metal</i> collection with the movie's 1996 LaserDisc.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717417760" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Heavy Metal LaserDisc"><img alt="Heavy Metal LaserDisc" height="482" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/337/31717417760_a8a0036b1f.jpg" width="500" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy Metal LaserDisc</td> </tr></tbody></table><br /><h3> Newbury Comics</h3><br /><a href="https://www.newburycomics.com/" target="_blank">Newbury Comics</a> is a New England chain that started as a comic book store and has evolved into an all-around pop culture emporium. I had been checking in with them for many weeks in anticipation of Funko's latest "Specialty Series" Pop figure, Max Rebo. Their Bellingham, MA store finally put my long wait to an end.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717418480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Max Rebo bobble-head (Funko Specialty Series)"><img alt="Funko Pop! Max Rebo bobble-head (Funko Specialty Series)" height="500" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/564/31717418480_8f5b9bb1b1.jpg" width="383" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funko Pop! Max Rebo bobble-head (Funko Specialty Series)</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />As luck would have it, they were having a BOGO 50% off sale on Pops, so I was finally able to pick up the 6" Davros from the Doctor Who line.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974709311" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop Davros"><img alt="Funko Pop Davros" height="500" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5609/31974709311_bc2f098b1f.jpg" width="428" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funko Pop Davros</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />And I was surprised -- but happy -- to find the Danger Girl "adult" coloring book on clearance for $2.99!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31944165682" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Danger Girl Permission to Thrill Coloring Book"><img alt="Danger Girl Permission to Thrill Coloring Book" height="500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/667/31944165682_b1d76663e7.jpg" width="388" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danger Girl Permission to Thrill Coloring Book</td> </tr></tbody></table><h3> Barnes &amp; Noble</h3><br />B&amp;N had a bunch of stuff at 50% off, and I was happy to find the Air Hogs Speeder Bike on the clearance table. I had been eyeing that for a while, hoping I would be able to get it at less than full price. I was!<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31974708931" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Remote Control Speeder Bike by Air Hogs"><img alt="Remote Control Speeder Bike by Air Hogs" height="245" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/357/31974708931_1ab01d84a5.jpg" width="500" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remote Control Speeder Bike by Air Hogs</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />And I was able to pick up the "regular" version of the Vinyl Vixens Wonder Woman to go along with the B&amp;N exclusive version I had bought for full price back in 2015.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/31717418290" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Vinyl Vixens Wonder Woman (Barnes &amp; Noble Pre-Release)"><img alt="Vinyl Vixens Wonder Woman (Barnes &amp; Noble Pre-Release)" height="500" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/452/31717418290_f6e1455215.jpg" width="306" /></a></td> </tr><tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vinyl Vixens Wonder Woman (Barnes &amp; Noble Pre-Release)</td> </tr></tbody></table><h3>Finally, one note</h3><br />While clearance sales allow some of us to spend more than usual, it's a good thing to shop at these stores year-round, especially at small, single-location, independent comic book stores. These stores are critical suppliers not only of comic books, but of all manner of collectibles. Keeping them in business is important to the future of collecting. Ross Richie of Boom! Studios has more to say on this below.<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="1100" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fross.richie.5%2Fvideos%2F10154994304454363%2F&amp;show_text=1&amp;width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe></div>FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-34704613251510766942016-01-25T22:26:00.000-05:002016-01-26T16:44:53.100-05:00Introduction to Funko's Smuggler's BountyI bought my first three Funko Pop! figures — Batman, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman (more on that <a href="http://fran-moff.blogspot.com/2011/01/compulsive-collection-heroclix.html">here</a>) — very early on, when they first came out. Then I got very casual with Pops! as I saw how deluged stores of all kinds were becoming with them; I worried that my toy collection would be set off-balance by a huge number of these things, so I shied away. Only recently have I come back, and come back in earnest, even committing to Funko's Pop! subscription box, Smuggler's Bounty.<br /><br />And a commitment it is, as all such subscriptions are. They're the ultimate blind pack — at least 5 times more expensive than a single Mystery Mini, for a payoff that therefore has the potential to be five times more disappointing. Here's how it's gone so far.<br /><br /><b>Smuggler's Bounty 1 - November 2015</b><br /><br />The theme of the first Smuggler's Bounty was the First Order from <i>The Force Awakens</i>. I knew this going in, well ahead of the movie's release. I had mixed feelings about the then-upcoming film (and still do), but I wanted to get in on the ground floor so ordered anyway. (My feelings toward this first box, I suspect, are in no small way influenced by my ambivalent feelings toward the new movie.) Funko had promised that all SB merch would be exclusive to the boxes, and while this sounded really great, my worry was that "exclusive" would mean "repaint." That was only partially the case with November's box, which, as Funko promised, would contain items other than Pop!s.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/24229458939/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Captain Phasma (chrome) bobble-head (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Funko Pop! Captain Phasma (chrome) bobble-head (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1547/24229458939_bbc219eed3_z.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Exclusive Captain Phasma (Chrome) Pop!</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> The first Pop! in the box was a chrome-finish Captain Phasma. I had already bought the regular Phasma, so this was some repetition for me, and the chrome finish, while impressively shiny, wasn't a big draw, either. Funko's chromed-up C-3PO is great, because there are moments in the Star Wars movies where 3PO appears this way, but with Phasma, it's a gimmick akin to Hasbro's various 3.75" "anniversary" chrome figures, which I've never cared for.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/24571062526/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! TIE Fighter Pilot bobble-head (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Funko Pop! TIE Fighter Pilot bobble-head (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1478/24571062526_5fde90bf39_z.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Exclusive First Order TIE Fighter Pilot Pop!</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> The second Pop! was a true exclusive — the First Order TIE Fighter Pilot. It's a nice-looking Pop!, though not a character I was really looking forward to collecting. It's very similar to the original TIE Pilot in its glossy blackness, but certainly not a highlight of my collection.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/24597210205/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Snowtrooper t-shirt (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Funko Pop! Snowtrooper t-shirt (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1565/24597210205_209981a1af_z.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Snowtrooper t-shirt</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> November's t-shirt was black with a large rendering of Funko's First Order Snowtrooper on the front. I should say first that while I really like collecting Pop!s, I'm not a fan of the Pop! style on other items. So I expected that the t-shirts would probably not be the kind I would otherwise purchase. If you can accept its Pop! parameters, though, this is a nice shirt. And of course it's always more fun to wear a t-shirt that's not available on a mass scale (like at Target or Walmart, e.g.).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/23970412093/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Star Wars lanyard (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Funko Pop! Star Wars lanyard (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="266" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1536/23970412093_c997291a80_m.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Star Wars lanyard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/24597211085/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Star Wars First Order patch (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Star Wars First Order patch (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1713/24597211085_5a8b4ec28c_m.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty First Order patch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/24301680160/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Star Wars Kylo Ren pin (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Star Wars Kylo Ren pin (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1531/24301680160_fa9edeb7e5_m.jpg" width="352" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Kylo Ren pin</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> The three remaining items were, for the most part, filler — a Pop! deco lanyard, a First Order patch, and an enamel Kylo Ren pin. The lanyard is pretty plain, and not the type of thing I collect. I don't collect patches, either (though I guess I do now), but this is a nice one. The pin is most relevant to my collection, though I hope future pins will feature characters I'm more interested in (it's certain that at times they will, at others, not).<br /><br />November's box wasn't the most spectacular premiere it could have been, but it wasn't entirely disappointing, either. And, as is to be expected, some boxes will be better than others.<br /><br /><b>Smuggler's Bounty 2 - January 2016</b><br /><br />The theme for this box — the Resistance — was announced soon after (or maybe even before) I had received the first one, so I knew I was in for another box full of <i>Force Awakens</i> products. As I suspected this would be the case for the first few boxes I had lowered my expectations. I'm sorry to say I did not lower them enough for January's box.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/23969073834/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Chewbacca (flocked) bobble-head (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Funko Pop! Chewbacca (flocked) bobble-head (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1475/23969073834_75e80873ae.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty exclusive flocked Chewbacca Pop!</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />January contained only one Pop!, a flocked version of the previously released Force Awakens Chewbacca. What can I say about flocked figures? I don't think I can say anything more fitting than what Roger Ebert said about the movie <i>North,</i> so I'll adapt his review to my need:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"I hate flocked Pop!s. Hate hate hate hate hate flocked Pop!s. Hate them. Hate every simpering stupid vacant collector-insulting aspect of them. Hate the sensibility that thought anyone could like them. Hate the implied insult to the collector by its belief that anyone would be interested in them."</blockquote>I didn't mean for that to sound so harsh. No, I did. Flocked toys, even when brand new, look like something you would find in your grandmother's attic, something so decrepit that you can't tell if it ever looked new or dust-free in all its life — "What was this thing? Was it always this way? Did it once have longer fur that wore off over time? Or is it covered in mold or some strange 1940's version of rubber that has since been found to cause defects in mice? Keep it away from my other toys, lest it spread its plastic virus among them!" Of all variations of repaint, flocked is my least favorite, less desirable even than "holographic" or "glow-in-the-dark." And since I had already purchased the much nicer original <i>Force Awakens</i> Chewie, this Pop! was completely superfluous.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/24597211685/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Home C-3PO mug (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Funko Pop! Home C-3PO mug (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="266" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1515/24597211685_1551984204.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty C-3PO mug</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> The second Pop! wasn't a Pop! at all, but a C-3PO mug from the "Pop! Home" line. I've stated above how I'm not a fan of the Pop! aesthetic when it's applied to other items, so you can bet this wasn't a welcome item. I mean, it's OK. If you like C-3PO, or mugs, then what's not to like? But I'm not a fan of new 3PO — I don't like his dull plastic finish or the red arm. Had this been an R2 mug, though, I'd have loved it. So chalk it up to the luck of the draw, the way of the blind-packed box.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/23969067654/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Funko Pop! Star Wars t-shirt (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Funko Pop! Star Wars t-shirt (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1481/23969067654_ac7c577fb8.jpg" width="330" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Resistance characters t-shirt</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> January's t-shirt was the month's highlight. Again, you've got to like the Pop! style, which (not to put too fine a point on it) is not my bag, Baby, unless applied to an actual Pop! But the group illustration, while it pushes Pop! cuteness almost too far, is more interesting to me than the single figure design that preceded it. And it's a nice shade of blue, which is not done justice by my photo.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/24571059916/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Star Wars Resistance patch (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Star Wars Resistance patch (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1452/24571059916_1bafca1684.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Resistance patch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/23970410253/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Star Wars Resistance Pilot pin (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)"><img alt="Star Wars Resistance Pilot pin (Smuggler's Bounty exclusive)" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1557/23970410253_15c6b50894.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggler's Bounty Resistance pilot patch</td></tr></tbody></table><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />The remaining items were a Resistance patch featuring BB-8 and an enamel pin bearing the likeness of either Poe Dameron or a nameless Resistance pilot. Both items are nice companion pieces to November's patch and pin, but after two of each shape and design, I really hope things are changed up a next time. <br /><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br /><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/originalfunko/posts/979423855460130:0" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/originalfunko/posts/979423855460130:0">The next Smuggler's Bounty box is Cantina-themed! What do you think will be inside?? https://www.smugglersbounty.com/<br />Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/originalfunko/">Funko</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/originalfunko/posts/979423855460130:0">Saturday, January 16, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div><br /><br />"Cantina" has been announced as the theme of the next Smuggler's Bounty box, and Funko's Facebook announcement suggests that by "cantina" we're talking original Tatooine cantina, not Maz Kanata's place from <i>The Force Awakens</i>. I thought I would have to wait longer to get an Original Trilogy box, so this is great news. I really hope we get a character that has not yet been given the Pop! treatment, like Myo, Hem Dazon, or Hrchek Kal Fas. My fear is that Funko will include a third Modal Nodes Pop!, which would be a terrible thing for non-subscribers who have already purchased the first two. Looking forward to March nonetheless!FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-2389441128075781332011-07-03T14:22:00.008-04:002016-01-26T16:50:03.516-05:00Star Wars Vintage Collection: Bom Vimdin<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/5895685629/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5278/5895685629_07105edd67_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a>I finally found Bom Vimdin from Hasbro's <i>Star Wars: The Vintage Collection</i> line yesterday, after several months of looking and more months waiting for the release date. This figure has probably just been released — if so, I really didn't have to wait long. But I had heard months ago — maybe longer — that the release date was to be back in March or April, and I have been waiting and searching ever since.<br /><br />This is one of the most frustrating things about collecting Hasbro's <i>Star Wars</i> line: they announce release dates months in advance, but either the dates keep changing or supply lines to retailers are slow. Meanwhile, it's a lot of pointless store checking and aggravation.<br /><br />Another frustrating element here is the price. I bought mine at Target for $8.89, which is ridiculously high for a simple action figure on such a simple card. I don't place any special value on the old-style Kenner packaging, either. In fact, I think this type of packaging — which is far less bulkier and seems to use less plastic than Hasbro's other current <i>Star Wars</i> line, <i>The Clone Wars</i> — should be standard for this type of toy in order to eliminate waste <i>and</i> cost. Hasbro seems to think otherwise, though, and these "vintage" style figures are actually about a dollar more than their <i>Clone Wars</i> kin.<br /><br />Which is partly why Bom Vimdin has been my first new <i>Star Wars</i> action figure purchase in a long while. Price is not the only reason — I just haven't been interested in the figures in this line — but price is the reason I didn't pick up the Logray I found alongside Bom, or the Han Solo. Back during 2007's <i>30th Anniversary Collection,</i> I probably would have bought all three, but at $8.89 each, no way. These days I need to focus my collection even more than before — in this case, on the cantina aliens from <i>Episode 4.</i><br /><br />Getting to the bottom of this pricing mystery is a challenge worthy of Fox Mulder, though he would most likely conclude it was all a plot of lies engineered by the Cigarette Smoking Man. Hasbro has claimed that it doesn't set prices, the retailers do. The retailers all seem to set just about the same price, though, which suggests something about the price they pay for the figures. Meanwhile, there's the issue of who is buying action figures nowadays, especially of characters from the first three <i>Star Wars</i> movies — kids or collectors? Should collectors need to pay more than kids? Maybe, if they are the only consumers of a line made in less quantity than <i>Clone Wars,</i> though I don't know if they are. In any event, the pricing and less-than-stellar character lineup of the <i>Vintage Collection</i> has kept me from all but Bom Vimdin.<br /><br />The figure itself, like nearly all Hasbro <i>Star Wars</i> figures that don't use so-called "soft goods" accessories, is excellent: outstanding sculpt, great detail on the costume and guns, and a nice balance of articulation and "default pose". (I typically don't care too much about articulation — I just want a default pose that looks good and allows the figure to stand on its own, if a base is not included.)<br /><br />The next two <i>Vintage Collection</i> waves are supposedly to include two other cantina favorites, re-sculpts of Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba (originally known as Walrus Man). I am looking forward to these — I just hope I don't have to look too <i>far</i> forward.FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-89475257979934323362011-01-19T09:42:00.001-05:002016-01-26T16:22:48.287-05:00Compulsive Collection: HeroClix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/5367534299/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gplZNsSqqxI/TTb4Co4L9NI/AAAAAAAAAHU/QOo2OU5NDPM/s320/IMG_1656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After many years of collecting action figures, I have become pretty good at staying "in focus," that is, I have defined two or three collection "topics" (Star Wars, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.) and have tried pretty successfully to stick only to certain items that seem to fit those topics. It is with some embarrassment that I admit this discipline has taken a long time to achieve (and it is with even greater embarrassment that I call it "discipline"). Still, I am prone to lapses. My eye strays. I sometimes look "outside the topic" for satisfaction.<br /><br />I am most prone to this in two situations. First, when I am all "caught up" — that is, when I have found and purchased everything on my current "want list." This is usually a welcomed break, but if boredom sets in I get weak. Second is when I am hunting for a very difficult-to-find item and in frustration turn to something else. (My collection of die-cast 1957 Corvettes is the direct result of not being able to track down Ephant Mon from Hasbro's 2002 Star Wars line.) This happened recently while looking for the new Funko Pop Wonder Woman, which in my area is only available in one chain of stores, and there are only three such stores in my immediate area. After striking out at all three, I found myself at a local comic/collector shop browsing through HeroClix figures with my sons, helping them locate among the shelves of loose figures the ones they needed to expand their own collections. I had never collected HeroClix figures before, because I have never been interested in gaming so much as collecting. But I sensed something about these tiny game tokens.<br /><br />That's when it happened. Fuelled by the urge to buy, and frustrated by my failing Wonder Woman quest, my rationalization engine kicked in full-force. A pack of Batman HeroClix figures could be considered relevant to my Batman action figure collection. It would also give me my own army that I could use to join my sons' games. Relevant-ish item. Quality time activity with the kids. Done deal.<br /><br />I bought one pack, along with the items my sons had chosen, and we left the store. When we got to the car, I opened the box and was happy to find cool characters — the Batman featured in the box's cut-out window, of course, but also Penguin, Commissioner Gordon, and Bane! Holding them close to my eyes, I was impressed by the relative detail for figures this small. I was happy about this purchase. My sons were happy for me. We were all happy.<br /><br />That's when it happened. We ran back into the store, and scrounging up enough coins from my loose change jar, I bought two more sets. Back in the car, I opened them to find Mad Hatter, Riddler, Robin, Oracle, Alfred, and — wow! — Batgirl! I was psyched. All cool characters, not one double! I was amassing an entire Batman min-collection right there in my car! Back into the store, bought the last set, back to the car. Scarecrow, Nightwing, Ra's Al-Ghul!<br /><br />Days later, I still don't have buyer's remorse. The figures look nice in their little cluster on the shelf, still impressing me with their detail and colors. It would be a little nicer, I guess, if I enjoyed playing the game, but after a few tries with my sons walking me through it, I still don't get it — so many rules and counter-rules that in the end it's just a semi-structured way to play with toys, but maybe that's all it needs to be.<br /><br />Today I caved and bought Wonder Woman on-line (just as I had eventually caved and bought Ephant Mon on the secondary market). So in the end, my HeroClix excursion didn't take the place of another, it just appeased me during a moment of frustration. But this is partly how collections grow, leapfrogging over compulsion and reason alike.<br /><br /><i>Which oft our stage hath shown; and for their sake,</i><br /><i>In your fair minds let this acceptance take.</i>FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-84898225587665984702010-11-22T11:50:00.002-05:002017-01-05T00:39:48.519-05:00When Black Friday comes . . .<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/2751565435/in/set-72157606663949311/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gplZNsSqqxI/TOmboISqC9I/AAAAAAAAAFw/MLlvZQ2UHTs/s200/AT-ST.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battle of Endor Ultimate Battle Pack</td></tr></tbody></table>This time of year has always been my second-least favorite time of year to shop. (My very least favorite time is the two-to-three month period after Christmas when stores are slow to restock.) I'm sure I'm not alone in this, for I have never met anyone who enjoyed fighting the traffic, crowds, and other shoppers in order to secure the latest action figure, video game, pencil sharpener, or oven mitt that is essential to rounding out your collection (this week). Needless to say, "Black Friday" is usually my stay-at-home day.<br /><br />Three years ago, however, I broke my ban and not only went shopping on Black Friday, but participated in one of those insane pre-dawn lines that extend for blocks beyond the doors of "big box" retailers. The year was 2007, and the item I was after was the Target exclusive Battle of Endor Ultimate Battle Pack from Hasbro's Star Wars line. This item had a confirmed street date of the Monday after Thanksgiving, but I had heard a rumor about a rumor that it <i>might</i> be available on Black Friday. Since I considered the Endor Battle Pack a "must-have", and since I just <i>knew</i> that they would be sold out before they could even be unpacked and placed on store shelves, I therefore just <i>knew</i> that I needed to be first in line at Target on the day after Thanksgiving.<br /><br />We were traveling this particular year, but our hotel was right next to a Target-anchored shopping plaza, so it seemed like an easy trip. I set our room alarm for 4AM, and backed it up with a wake-up call. When I awoke, I made the last-ditch effort of asking if anyone would like to come with me (No), and set off.<br /><br />The Target in question was next to a BJ's Wholsale Club, so when I saw a line wrapping around BJ's, I assumed they were having an early-opening sale as well. They weren't — the line was entirely for Target. If you know how wide Target and BJ's stores are, you know how far away I was from Target's front door when I finally took my place at the end of the line. I couldn't see the front door — I couldn't even see Target — because I was around the corner, on the side of BJ's, next to their automotive repair shop. It was cold and the wait was long, but the novelty of what I was doing kept me entertained, or at least I imagined that it did.<br /><br />Eventually the line began to shuffle forward. 45 minutes later, I reached the front door, where I rationalized the sight of several police officers into assurance that I wouldn't be crushed by a stampeding crowd, all the while aware that it was for this contingency the officers were on hand, all the while aware that should a stampede occur, the officers would also be crushed. Lemming-like, I stepped through the doors.<br /><br />It took longer than usual to walk through the crowd to get to the toy section. It wasn't really "walking" so much as "advancing". Imagine a row of soda cans in a convenience store refrigerator moving up to fill in the empty space of the can you just pulled out, or a huge viscous mass being poured into a rat's maze, oozing slowly into the various pathways until the entire maze was full. But I did gradually ooze into the toy section, whose aisles were tightly packed with shoppers intent on finding an unspeakable deal. What struck me most (aside from various boxes falling off shelves or being tossed between members of family shopping teams) was that there wasn't that much on sale. This could have been any given Friday, for all it mattered.<br /><br />I realized after some time and patience what I had suspected all along — that the Endor pack was not yet available. I worked my way to the front of the store and glanced at the battery of cash registers. I was surprised to see that the lines were not too backed up, so I decided to pick up a few essentials we had forgotten when packing for our trip. In the time it took to round up these items, however, the lines had grown to intolerable lengths, and I was about to scrap everything and call it quits when one of the pharmacy registers opened, only four feet from where I was standing. I stepped up and set down my Black Friday haul — a six-pack of bottled water, a tube of triple antibiotic ointment, and nail clippers. I tried to look unfazed when the cashier asked, stupefied, "Is this all you came in here for?" "Yes" was such an easier answer.<br /><br /><b>Epilogue (In Color)</b><br /><br />The following Monday, back on my home turf, I queued up outside my local Target for the regular 8AM opening. With me were just a handful of regulars, collectors who check in every day looking for new toy releases regardless of advertised sales. There was no crowd and no mad rush to the back of the store. I found the Endor Battle Pack — an entire display of them, in fact. As it turned out, I was the only early riser interested in <i>Star Wars</i> that day, so I took my time and selected the one that best met my criteria — the best possible combination of paint application, apparent joint and accessory condition, and condition of packaging. The packs were available for a couple weeks before selling out.<br /><br />FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-46294375809236822782010-10-29T01:30:00.003-04:002010-10-30T12:01:03.065-04:00Star Wars Mini Muggs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/5098698658/"><img alt="Biggs Darklighter Mighty Mugg with Mini friends" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1332/5098698658_71d0b4a9b0_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biggs Darklighter Mighty Mugg<br />with Mini friends</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/5098698658/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="photo sharing"></a>I was stopped in my tracks at Target a couple weeks ago by Hasbro's new Mini Muggs, a half-scale follow-up to the company's iffy Mighty Muggs line. While it took me some time to warm up to their Mighty predecessors, the Minis grabbed me right away, thanks mostly to the line's MVP, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/5098097881/">Bossk</a>. Only three sets are currently available (you can see them all <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/sets/72157625077079253/">here</a>), but I imagine it's only a matter of time before we see more. (Here's hoping we finally get a Slave Leia!)<br /><br />Not only are these things cuter than the full-size toys, but the three-packs, priced around $12.99, allow you to bulk up on characters a lot faster.<br /><br />A truly devastating follow-up would be Mini versions of the Marvel Muggs, which in Mighty scale were on the whole much more appealing than their Star Wars counterparts. My collecting budget braces in anticipation...FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-24374573362679831642010-08-28T21:51:00.003-04:002017-01-05T00:38:16.036-05:00Gort<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3714530563/" title="Gort"><img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3519/3714530563_3c2d6cd90a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Gort"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>Wind-up toy by Rocket USA. More pictures <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/sets/72157606737373247/">here</a>.FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-17050291143256252452010-04-28T18:49:00.002-04:002010-04-28T18:56:13.868-04:00A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Compulsive Hoarding Behavior<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/4561607820/" target="_blank"><img align="right" height="180" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/4561607820_4c472eba25_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>I was driving to my therapist's the other day (for some reason she insists on seeing me in person before refilling my Zoloft), and I started thinking about what I should do with all of my action figure cardbacks — you know, the cardboard backing behind the plastic bubble that action figures are packaged in. This is a debate I've had with myself many times. I'm one of those collectors who keeps the cardbacks. I figure it's for reference, or as the "next best thing" to having an unopened figure. In the past it hasn't been much of a problem, but as I pulled into the medical center I started thinking that the cards are really not serving any purpose if they're just packed away in a box.<br /><br />As I sat in the waiting room, I considered scanning the cards, keeping the images, and throwing the actual backs into the recycle bin. But I'm not a pixel collector — I collect tangible stuff, and the cardbacks are part of that stuff. Plus, scanning is very time-consuming. I mean, I already spend lots of time taking pictures of all of my figures, taking pictures of all of their accessories, taking pictures of all the figures with all their accessories in various poses, editing those pictures in Photoshop to remove the background so they look like something from a DK book, labeling each part of the picture to identify the different joints used in the action figure, the "in-universe" names of their accessories, and vital statistics about the characters. This takes a ton of time. And then I have to scan all of my store receipts and put them into albums so that I can refer to them when I enter the data into my collecting database. So with all that, who wants more scanning?<br /><br />I had to put all of this out of my head for a while when I was called in to the therapist because I needed to ask her if the Zoloft was working or if I needed a bigger dose or something new or whatever. This led to a few new prescriptions, some lab work, and a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn.<br /><br />When I finally left the shock lab, I started thinking about an idea I had heard of putting cardbacks in page protectors and keeping them in binders. This would allow me to pull them off the shelves to flip through every now and then and relive some happy memories. Unfortunately, I think the page protectors would be too big for the cards and I wouldn't be able to center the cards in the protectors without tape, which could trap fingerprints and damage the cardboard. But it does seem a little easier than what I do now, which is to laminate each card with peel-off laminating sheets. Not the kind you get from Staples or wherever, but a kind I special order from Germany. They're really expensive, but I find they repel fingerprints a lot better, protect from unexpected spills, and in only a few tries I can cut them into an exact size and symmetry. The problem is, they take a lot of extra preparation to use. You've got to use a special heat gun so they set just right, and because they're super-sticky, you only get one shot at sticking them to the card — if you mess up, the card is ruined. You don't know the hassle I went through after I messed up the card to my Ultimate Galactic Hunt Chewbacca. I ended up spending way too much money on eBay to replace the Chewbacca figure just so I could get another shot at laminating the card. Luckily it worked out on the third or maybe the fourth try.<br /><br />Anyway, this whole process takes about 30 minutes per card, so I was thinking maybe the binder idea would save some time. But I was interrupted again when I got to the pharmacy because I had to ask the pharmacist if the Prozac my therapist had just prescribed would make me queasy like the Celexa used to. He told me no, as long as Prozac was the only such medication I was taking. So I guess I'm out of luck, but I'll deal.<br /><br />So I finally got back home and all the thinking about cardbacks made me want to get out all of my cards and reevaluate the whole situation. So I opened up all six of my fireproof safes and took out every laminated card and, after putting down a few sterile tarps, laid them all on the floor. This took a little longer than I wanted because the last time I put them away I neglected to alphabetize them, so I had to alphabetize all the cards and group them by series. I can never decide if I want to order them by figure name first, regardless of series, or by series first, then figure name. I did each way in turn, then re-sorted by manufacturer first, then series, then character name.<br /><br />Eventually the cards were all in place and that's when it dawned on me — my current solution is OK, but it's only half-way there. Combining it with a variation on the binder idea is the key to taking it to the next level. I figure if I leave just enough excess laminate on the left side of each card, I can then three-hole punch them and put them into a custom-made binder so they won't flop around like they would do if they were in sheet protectors. The problem with this, I guess, is that I didn't leave any excess laminate on all of the cards I've laminated so far, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that. Maybe I'll try something with duct tape, or I could re-laminate, but that usually doesn't work. So I may need to buy new cards. I'm not sure. The point is that I was just really excited to finally have some resolution on this. And I think it was that excitement, combined with the queasiness the pharmacist said I might feel, that made me throw up all over my cards. But luckily, they were laminated.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Originally performed on <a href="http://www.swactionnews.com/archives/ep118.htm" target="_blank">Episode 118 of <i>Star Wars Action News</i></a>.</span>FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-19045112136523055152010-03-27T21:13:00.011-04:002010-04-17T20:55:59.465-04:00Review: Mattel's Avatar Line<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/4519032443/" title="Neytiri by Fran Moff Tarkenton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/4519032443_916d86636a_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Neytiri" align="right" border="1" hspace="15"/></a>When <i>Avatar</i> action figures started appearing on shelves weeks before the movie premiered, I hardly gave them a look. Though I was really looking forward to seeing the movie, and assumed that after doing so I would want to pick up one or two figures, the $8.99 per-figure price tag, along with my then-current focus on Hasbro's <i>Star Wars</i> line, and a gnawing feeling that I should be scaling back in favor of more "practical" spending like home improvement, retirement savings, college tuition accounts for the kids, weekly grocery shopping, heating bills (it was still winter, after all), etc., allowed me to easily look the other way.<br /><br />I eventually saw <i>Avatar</i>, liked it a lot, and knew that my resistance to the blue guys on the pegs was to be short-lived. Further chipping away at my original resolve was the fact that by the time I had finally seen the movie, many stores had moved their <i>Avatar</i> toys to the clearance section. Several weeks later (it <i>felt</i> like several weeks, anyway -- it was probably much less), I had an almost-complete set of basic figures, at least enough to comfortably offer this review.<br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Good</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/4519667314/" title="Avatar Norm Spellman by Fran Moff Tarkenton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2684/4519667314_41499c8f30_t.jpg" width="75" height="100" alt="Avatar Norm Spellman" align="right" border="1" hspace="15" /></a>The line gives good coverage to the main characters, even the ones that don't make such great "action" figures -- like Parker Selfridge and Norm Spellman. Many of the likenesses, particularly of the Na'vi and avatars, are really good. Notable among them are Tsu'tey and Avatar Norm.<br /><br />The figures are very well articulated and very detailed. Paint applications are consistent. Also, each figure is well-proportioned, even if not in scale with other figures in the line.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/4519030017/" title="Parker Selfridge by Fran Moff Tarkenton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4519030017_1ee6ebe8c7_t.jpg" width="75" height="100" alt="Parker Selfridge" align="right" hspace="15" border="1" /></a>An important point (for me, anyway) is that the i-TAG (a sort-of ID badge for each figure, which, when used in conjunction with a webcam and some downloadable software, allows you to control digital representations of the toys on your computer) packed with each figure also serves as a figure stand, which helps keep the figures standing despite some small feet.<br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Bad</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div>The figures are incredibly over-packaged. I found opening these a truly unpleasant chore, one which I put off, at times for several days. The wrap-around bubble is not as easy to separate from the card as a traditional bubble, and there are a couple of those annoyingly tight rubber bands to contend with on each figure, along with a paper backing that is tightly taped at several points.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/4519032145/" title="Tsu'tey by Fran Moff Tarkenton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4519032145_61b249d100_t.jpg" width="75" height="100" alt="Tsu'tey" align="right" border="1" hspace="15" /></a>The figures are kind of scrawny and flimsy. The arms, particularly on the Na'vi and avatar figures, are a bit rubbery, and I don't trust the figures to stand without their included i-TAG stand. Unfortunately, the foot pegs don't fit very snugly, so they still teeter easily when bumped, and the stands are so big that the figures can't be displayed very close together.<br /><br />The articulation, while plentiful, is achieved with some odd-looking joints which are at times unsightly and give the figures an amateurish feel in some poses -- especially when the legs are pulled sideways.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/4519666020/" title="Pvt. Sean Fike (orange gun) by Fran Moff Tarkenton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4519666020_e14cc3c74e_t.jpg" width="75" height="100" alt="Pvt. Sean Fike (orange gun)" align="right" border="1" hspace="15"/></a>Some accessories, like Jake's wheelchair or Pvt. Fike's big orange gun, just aren't on par with what the packaging calls "detailed movie replica[s]", while others are noticeably absent. While the re-deco'd Fike comes with a permanently attached face mask, none of the other figures do. I expected this mask to be removable and standard with all RDA personnel figures, or at least the soldiers. Quaritch, whose figure is noticeably shorter than the others, I assume so he can fit into the AMP Suit vehicle, comes with only a handgun. That may be movie-accurate (I don't recall him using any other weapon except the gun and the AMP Suit), but I feel the toughest "bad guy" in the film should have come with a heavier weapon -- or at least a face mask and his signature cup of coffee. And while Selfridge's golf club is a nice touch, a chunk of floating unobtanium would perhaps have been a more relevant choice, as would have been a clipboard -- or anything scientific -- instead of Grace Augustine's machete.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/4519030515/" title="Col. Miles Quaritch by Fran Moff Tarkenton, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4519030515_bf5efdfb3c_t.jpg" width="75" height="100" alt="Col. Miles Quaritch" align="right" border="1" hspace="15" /></a>The scaling is noticeably off, not only on the afore-mentioned Quaritch, but on the Na'vi, which stand only a head taller than the humans, when they should be almost twice their size. I'm guessing this was an economical decision required to make the line affordable -- or at least no more than $8.99 per figure -- though this, along with the accessory issue, points to what I feel is the line's biggest shortcoming.<br /><br />It seems apparent that someone, either from Mattel or the film production, felt it necessary, given the buzz about technical innovation and novelty surrounding the film, that the toy line attempt to match that novelty and innovation. To that end, potentially great action figures were downgraded to good action figures in order to finance the complex packaging and the i-TAG software. I do not have a webcam, so I have not downloaded or experimented with this i-TAG software. Still, I would rather have had the money from i-TAG development spent on the overall quality of the figures.<br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Final Say</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div>I like these figures enough to have collected almost the entire line. That said, I don't think I would have amassed this collection if I had to do it at retail price. I wish I could display the figures reliably in tighter clusters; I will probably need third-party stands to do that. Most of all, though, is the nagging feeling that these figures could have been pushed to a really great level -- with better quality joints, bulkier construction, more accurate scale, better accessories -- if they hadn't been burdened by over-packaging and i-TAG gimmickry.<br /><br />You can see more pictures of the figures mentioned in this review <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/sets/72157623850128794/">here</a>.FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-18015466036378594222009-04-24T16:08:00.004-04:002010-04-21T12:11:05.916-04:00Favorite Action Figures: Xena<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3242788504/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3331/3242788504_089cda200d_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3242788504/">Xena</a></span></div>I am most often uninterested in figures with built-in "action" features, like buttons on the back that make the arms move up and down, or legs that can be squeezed together to make... well, the arms move up and down. Such features usually detract from a figure's look with unsightly knobs and levers, or simply don't work.<br /><br />This is not the case for the simply named "Xena" figure from Toy Biz's <i>Xena: Warrior Princess</i> line. Although this Xena sports an ungainly button, which juts out of the figure's back like a broken bone, pushing this button produces a really cool action effect. Thanks to a magnetically enhanced hand, this Xena can draw her sword quickly out of its scabbard in a fraction of a second. The speed and consistency with which this feature functions, along with the excellent default pose and detailed outfit, make this a great figure.FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-44129338212523440382009-04-24T15:41:00.004-04:002010-04-21T12:12:10.073-04:00Favorite Action Figures: Darth Vader (removable helmet)<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3429343375/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3429343375_80fe05bcc4_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3429343375/">Darth Vader (removable helmet)</a></span></div>This figure was part of Kenner's <i>Power of the Force 2</i> line and was the first in its scale to reveal Darth Vader's badly scarred face and head. I was for some reason amazed that this figure was made -- it seemed too gruesome to be a toy back in 1998, when McFarlane was just getting started with its brand of creepiness -- but I knew I had to have one.<br /><br />I don't think I ever found this one "in the wild," instead paying $12.99 (more than twice the regular retail price) at one of those "collector's stores" whose staffers often come by their merchandise by arriving at real toy stores before anyone else.<br /><br />Even though Hasbro has since surpassed the gory detail of this figure (see the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3429357401/">battle damaged Anakin Skywalker</a> from 2005's <span style="font-style: italic;">Revenge of the Sith</span> line), this was the first time we got to see under the helmet on a Vader figure, which to me was a big deal.FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644248288833237750.post-70486559778380690402009-04-24T14:56:00.004-04:002010-04-21T12:13:04.145-04:00Favorite Action Figures: Insect-Body Mr. Freeze<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3315630538/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/3315630538_32298b2230_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/franmoff/3315630538/">Insect-Body Mr. Freeze</a></span></div>This is based on the "Cold Comfort" episode of <i>The New Batman Adventures,</i> where all that remains of a badly deteriorated Mr. Freeze is a head, now kept in a jar and mobile only on spider-like mechanical legs or a robot body. It was a cool moment in the series, and I thought it was a great choice for an action figure. This was pretty hard to find in its initial release; I got mine thanks to my sister-in-law, who found it in a small shop on the Jersey shore. I came across this figure pretty regularly months afterward, possibly re-released in a revised wave.FranMoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816482173361392348noreply@blogger.com1